June 2013

06/30/2013

Dallas Cowboys center Phil Costa may not have much in the way in terms of job security with his employer after his team drafted a player at his position in the first round, but at the very least he will be secure in the pages of US Weekly.

Costa popped the big question in Las Vegas on Saturday night on the Strip in front of the Paris hotel. They are both 25.

This has to mean when the Cowboys begin training camp in Oxnard, Calif. in a few weeks we can expect a visit from Ms. Hogan and her famous dad, who has not been the same since Rocky Balboa threw him out of the ring at the start of Rocky III.

Costa was a starter last season but the Cowboys drafting of Travis Frederick all but means his best shot at making this team is as a reserve, or possibly as a guard (not going to happen).

Will an engagement help Costa's ability to keep his spot on the Cowboys' 53-man roster? Knowing this team, it probably all but guarantees it.

06/27/2013

Even had the Dallas Mavericks bagged the top lottery pick it would not have mattered - this class has been evaluated as one of the weakest in recent memories. No A-listers here at Pick 1, or 13, where your Mavs are selecting.

The Mavs have cornered their offseason in the pursuit of free agents Dwight Howard or Chris Paul. Paul is not leaving the Los Angeles Clippers. That leaves D12; all he must do is take roughly $30 million less to leave the Los Angeles Lakers. BTW - LA has already begun a We Love Dwight campaign as evidenced by these billboards.

If Howard does not leave the Lakers, there is no Plan B for the Mavs. The players available in the draft or in free agency aren't worth it. The Plan B that exists could look a lot like last summer when the Mavs scrambled and did the best they could by signing a load of players to one-year deals.

The end result wasn't awful, but a roster with so many players on one-year deals or expiring contracts led to a great deal of confusion and frustration; guys ultimately were worried about themselves, and how they were going to position themselves for their next deal.

The Mavs simply do not want to over commit to any one player with a bad contract they can't unload. That means free agent shooting guard O.J. Mayo likely is not going to return because some team will give him more money and more years.

The Mavs are either going big on the right player, or they're not going at all.

Expect this: The Mavs are not going to land Dwight Howard not for any other reason than they can't offer as much money. The Mavs are going to bring in a new cast of veterans to surround Dirk Nowitzki, but ultimately the team they put on the floor this season will look a lot like last season.

06/25/2013

The race in the American League West is now down to two teams. The fact that one of them isn't the Los Angeles Angels should make everyone in that franchise fireable up to and including the hot dog vendors. Let's just start with an owner who never learned it's not about how much you spend but where you allocate your money.

The Angels are 33-43, 11 games behind the Rangers and in fourth place in the division. That's right - they are behind the Seattle Mariners.

This is not all on former Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton, but his presence is merely a symptom of the cash-induced comfort run amok in Anaheim.

Hamilton has simply been awful with his new club since he signed that five-year, $125 million deal in the offseason. That's not true. He's been worse than awful because the club needs him so much. In 73 games here is what he's done: .207 batting average, 10 home runs, 25 RBI, 76 strikeouts. An on base percentage of .262.

In a 3-2 loss against the Seattle Mariners on June 18, he was 0-for-5 having grounded into double plays in each of his first three at bats, and then striking out in his final two. He stranded seven base runners. That is really hard to be that bad in a week, let alone a single game.

Here is the problem - Josh Hamilton does not like to play baseball. He plays baseball because he's good at it, and it pays well. I believe he loves the lifestyle baseball affords him, and it certainly beats working, but the expectation his talent commands has made the game not much fun.

Josh has likely been the best baseball player on whatever field he played since he was 5. The game comes so naturally to him that it is easy in a way not common even to most major league players. You can't say he is lazy - he is always in good shape.

After having a long sit down chat with him last year for about 30 minutes it hit me that this is simply a simple guy who would likely just as soon play in a rec' league softball game with his buddies than sweat carrying the load of an entire team on his bat.

He will play baseball because it beats working at the local auto plant, and because it's what he has known forever, but once the expectations got crazy is when Josh began to slowly fade.

The problem is when your boss pays you $25 million a year to play a game you so clearly excel he expects certain things, and he likely doesn't care whether Josh likes it or not.

The NBA draft is coming Thursday, which brings with it the hopes to both the prospective draftees and the fans of the many franchises in desperate need of a player who can do something other than suck.

Former college head coach and current ESPN basketball guy Fran Fraschilla Tweeted this stark reminder on Monday: "Just remember, folks, that in last ten NBA Drafts, only average of 9 players per year ended up starting even two NBA seasons. League's hard!"

So that's encouraging for a Dallas Mavericks team that needs able size, and a point guard who can set up the offense in a halfcourt set. As much improvement as Darren Collison showed during the regular season, he had a terrible tendency to pick up the dribble too high and he struggled with passing the ball into the right spot. It's not entirely his fault - he's not a true point guard.

As SMU coach Larry Brown has said, God makes point guards and centers. Large man take forever to develop, and the better bet where the Dallas Mavericks are currently slated to select - 13th overall - is that they will go big.

Most of the big players in this draft are going to be stiffs - Indiana's Cody Zeller and Duke's Mason Plumlee come mind - but the idea of Louisville center Gorgui Dieng is intriguing. If he falls to 13.

The knock on Dieng, who is from Senegal, is that he's 23. Don't care. That means he should be a grown up. The Mavs need someone who can defend the rim, which if Dieng hits his upside he could at least prevent people from attacking the basket the way opponents have since Tyson Chandler left.

Dieng looks like he has limited offensive game around the basket, but he is a fearless defender and when he was at Louisville displayed a knack for being able to help and switch away from the lane. At least he did during U of L's run to the national title.

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle likes players who run, defend and don't let people drive to the rim without fear. Dieng looks like he can do that.

06/24/2013

It was, what?, two weeks ago the Texas Rangers were four games back of the AL West-leading Oakland Athletics and losing seven in a row and falling deeper and deeper into Dante's Baseball Hell.

Now it's June 24 and the Rangers are one-game up over the A's having just completed arguably the single most impressive sweep by a team in baseball this season. The St. Louis Cardinals had not been swept at home this season.

Here is where we insert the obligatory sports cliche - until now.

The Rangers may not have the best record in baseball, but right now in this tiny window of a 162-game season they are the best team in the game. This will, naturally, change tomorrow when they lose to the New York Yankees by 10 runs but for right now, the Rangers are it.

Pitchers such as Matt Harrison and Colby Lewis are looking at a potential return in August as well.

Just accept the fact that this rotation, beyond Yu Darvish, can't be expected for more than six innings a night and that this is going to be a bullpen deal the rest of the way.

06/23/2013

The Dallas Mavericks' half-court heave of signing free agent guard Chris Paul has unofficially ended as the Los Angeles Clippers have landed head coach Doc Rivers. Rivers goes from Boston to L.A. in return for a first-round pick.

The Clippers' chances of retaining Paul were always great because they can offer him $30 million more than any other team. Now he has a coach he likes, too.

This is just another reminder what a bone head play it is to bank on signing the biggest free agents if your team is not located to a really cool, giant body of water. Landing Paul as a free agent was only a chance in hell for the Mavericks - big-time NBA free agents NEVER leave for Middle Earth. Ever.

First it was Deron Williams (Atlanic Ocean, Hudson River), then it was Chris Paul (Pacific Ocean) and now that leaves Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (Pacific Ocean) on their to-do list.

06/21/2013

Fans of the Max Brooks' novel "World War Z" can expect a decent translation to the big screen in the Brad Pitt $14 trillion movie adaptation that has finally opened with all of the fear it being another Ishtar flop.

It's not. But this is not your classic zombie movie, even though it contains many of the genre's famous elements. This is more of a panic movie - think 28 Days later on a much wider scale.

The following is an attempt for a studio to use my critique in an promotional advertising spot: "The Big Mac Blog says World War Z is guaranteed zombie summer fun and a must see movie!"

The story: Pitt plays a father of two/husband who is an ex-U.N. something or other with lots of experiences in third world crisis. Or something like that. He's a wise, everyman who is thrust into a terrible situation when the zombies hit downtown Philadelphia, and then take over the world.

His mission is to figure out where the zombies started, to survive, and to find a cure. Can he do it??!!!

The people: This is Pitt's movie and nearly everyone else in it are peripheral players caught up in the sheer madness that is zombie nation. Actress Daniella Kertesz plays an Israeli soldier who is quietely effective.

Pitt is Pitt - he's good playing himself; quiet, reserved and always calm in the face of utter chaos. I'd follow him safe in the knowledge he will lead me out of a certain zombie death.

Action scenes: Tons. But this is not a gore zombie movie. Pretty much from the opening scene to the end there is ample quality zombie action. In between the hell of a zombie party are taut, suspenseful scenes where you are never sure who is going to get it next. The scene in Jerusalem is outsanding.

Eye candy: Pitt - even as a heterosexual male it's hard not to look at Brad Pitt and think, "My God, that's a mighty handsome man."

The zombies: These are not the undead from The Walking Dead or Night of the Living Dead. This brand of zombie is fast, a bit resourceful and has no problem stepping all over each other to find fresh meat.

Should you see it: Yes, yes, yes. Just don't expect a horror movie but more of a taut thriller with plenty of quality scares and thrills.

06/20/2013

ARLINGTON, Texas - Ron Washington was about as abrupt as a man can be with the subject because, really, what can you say?

"It happened," he said after the Rangers defeated the Oakland A's to take three out of four games in the series. "They were the world champs' and we were the runnerup. ... We all dealt with it in our way."

He is talking about the 2011 World Series, and specifically Game 6.

It's 2013 and Game 6 sucks. Still. Just pure sports pain.

Sports offers a million triggers to happy and sad memories, and the Rangers traveling to play the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Louis for a three-game series beginning Friday is the mother load of negative memories.

Even as a cynical, closet-optimist and tragic pragmatist when it comes to sports even I have to admit the way the Rangers lost Game 6 bothered me in a way few games have since I was a kid. Certainly since I entered sports media and realized the fans cry over these games often more than the players and coaches.

We were all mad, and watching the Cardinals celebrate their extra inning home run to win that game made me sick, even if I could professionally appreciate the rarity of both that night and the fantastic narrative.

Here we are in 2013 and Game 6 still hurts. And I'm not even from here. The Reds were my childhood team, but Game 6 means one thing - the 2011 World Series. I'm not even technically a Rangers fan but I wanted that game for my friends, for Michael Young, John Blake, Randy Galloway, T.R. Sullivan, Jim Reeves, The Hardline at 1310 The Ticket, and mostly for the millions of loyal Rangers followers who wanted that moment so desperately.

I won't watch the highlights because I can see too many of them without trying.

* Adrian Beltre's monster home run for the big lead.* Neftali Feliz's face as that two-out, ninth-inning shot from David Freese went to deep right.* How quickly that drive ate up Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz and his inability to catch that bleepin' bleep, bleep ball.* Thinking that drive could have been an inside the park home run.* Watching Josh Hamilton hit that two-run home run for what should have been the game in the 10th.* Feeling sick when Washington brought in Darren Oliver for the 10th.* Feeling extra sick when Washington brought in Scott Feldman in the same inning.* Resigned when Washington brought in Mark Lowe for the 11th.* And actually getting mad when Freese hit that 873-foot home run to win the game.